Sandwich vending machine



May 12, 1953 c. GABRIELSEN 2,638,396

SANDWICH VENDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 d i INVENTOR.

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Filed Aug. 2, 1950 TTORA/EY May 12, 1953 c. GABRn-:LSEN

SANDWICH VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 2, 1950 INVENTOR. CHR/5 774A/ GHBP/HSEN MSM,

HTTORA/EY May 12v, 1953 c. GABRIELsl-:N 2,638,396

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C GABRIELSEN SANDWICH VENDING MACHINE May r 12, 1953 Flled Aug 2, 1950 Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES TENT QFFl-CE Application August 2, 1950,. Serial No.. 1.771159' 9 Claims. (Cl. 312-65l My invention relates to a. novel and improved sandwich. vending machine adapted to vend the sandwiches selected. by a user froman electrically operated merchandising machine in response, to the actuation of a push button.

Sandwiches may loe packed in boxes of the same shape and size and stacked in columns, antidispensed from` an automatic merchandising machine similar to those now in use for cigarettes and other stackable commodities. Sandwiches.. however, usually contain meat, cheese, fish and other labile food products which are likely to spoil unless preservedV in a refrigerated atmosphere adapted to retard the processes involved in the spoiling of food products.. The placing of a dispensing mechanism in a refrigerated atmosphere, however, introduces a number of problems. The selecting. and operating` mechanism must be able to dispense in the refrigerated container. which must be insulated from the outside atmosphere if the refrigeration is t0 be efective. The controls for the. selecting and dispensing mechanism, however,v must be available outside of the refrigerated space Vfor ready operation by the user. The customary mechanisms in use for cigarette machines cannot be conveniently employed because of the complications produced by the necessity for refrigeration.

One object of my invention is to provide an electrical merchandising machine yadapted to be controlled by the deposit of coins in proper de.- nominations and the simple operation o a push button.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electrically controlled and operated nierchandisinc 'machine adapted' to vend articles from e. plurality ci columns in which a separate push button is provided for each column.

Another cloiect. of my invention is to provide a merchandising machine adapted to operate elec? trically by a plurality of push buttons adapted to initiate a common prime mover and to select merchandise from the column Iassoelated` with the. push, button.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved electrical automatic merchandising machine.

@ther and further ooiects of my invention will appear from the following description.

En general my invention contemplates the pro vision of a refrigerated cabinet in which I place a plurality of vertical columns containing the merchandise, such as sandwiches or the like, adapted to be dispensed, Each column is provided with a push button controlling a solenoid associated therewith, A comision prime mover having so operating. har furnishes the power. .for Oneratine. the dispensing mechanism associ-ated with each column. The actuation of a nosh button associated with a column will operate the solenoid associated therewith when coins of the proper denomination are placed in the coin register., The solenoid connects the oli-spons.hisY mechanism; to the operating bar and releases e switch operating4 memher adapted to initiate the action, of the prime mover. The arrangement is such that citer the sandwich. or other merchandise is disnensed from the. column selected,y the carts. are automatically restored to initial posi.- ton .and cannot again he operated without the deposit of coins.. When merchandise. from a column is depleted the. circuit through the solenoid associated' therewith is broken through yan empty locki-y whch automatically ehereizes a second cire cuit. so that when the push hutten. is pressed. a siena-.1. is given to the user indicating. that the column is empty, The customary slide locks known to the art are associated with the. hush buttons so that only one push. huttonat a time may be pressed The. dispensing mechanism is a ovoted member adopted to eject one sandwich and. support the column. of sandwiches above it during. the dispensing actionE the accompanying drawings which 4form oart of the instant specification and which are to be read cohiunction therewith. and in which. lilze reference nurneals are used to indicate like carts in the various views.:

Figure 1 a Perspective View of.` a portion of my merchandising machine with parts 01.....tted and shown. removed from the refrigerated calo ...et in which they are adopted to be housed.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation drown on an enlarged scale oa portion or my merchandising. machine removed.. irom. the refrigerated cabinet in which it is normally positioned, viewed elche the )glane 2.-2 oi* Figure 1.

Figure. 3 is a fragmentary section of my inerchandising machine viewed along the line `Isf-3 of Figure 2.

on an enlarged scale viewed along the line 1-1 of Figure l..

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the empty switch in position when merchandise is in a vending column.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the position oi parts of the empty switch when a column is depleted of merchandise.

More particularly referring now to the drawings, a framework lll of any suitable construction is adapted to be positionedL within a refrigerated housing il a portion of which is shown in Figure 3, of any suitable size or design. The interior of the housing is maintained at a suitable low temperature by means of refrigeration machinery well known to the art, Refrigerated housing forms no part oi the instant invention and is therefore not shown or described in detail. The frame lil supports a plurality of columns l2 which are adapted to hold sandwiches I4 packed in cardboard boxes or the like so each will have uniform dimensions. The stacks of sandwiches i4 are held in the columns by separated flanges l5 positioned adjacent the bottom of each column. The brace member i8 is positioned above the i'langes ifi through a distance slightly in excess of the thickness of each article M to be dispensed. The dispensing mechanism, which will be described more fully hereinafter, is adapted to push the bottomrncst portion of the stack forwardly so that it will fall upon the inclined baille 2t extending across the front of the columns. From the inclined baille 2U the sandwich or other article falls upon the inclined baille 22 adapted to slide the article to the shelf 2d which is made readily accessible from the exterior through a door in the refrigerated housing as is well known to the art. An operating bar 26 extends across the frame I in a pair of slots 28 and 30. A pair of racks 32 are carried by the frame on opposite sides thereof. Segments 34 and 3d are secured to the operating bar for rotation therewith and mesh with the racks 32. The arrangement is such that as the bar is moved to and fro in the slots and 39 it will rotate and move with parallel motion. lThe end of the operating bar 26 is secured to a link 38 which is attached to the upper lend of the arm di! of the bell crank 42 which is pivoted about shaft 44 carried by the frame Hl. The end of link 38 is attached to the operating bar in any appropriate manner, as, .for example, by providing the end of link 38 with an opening through which the projecting end of the operating bar 2&7 passes and then providing a cotter pin to hold the link in place. The frame carries an electrical motor 46 which is adapted to rotate a cam A3. The other arm 50 of the bell crank lt2 is provided with a follower 52 which is lodged in acarn groove 54 formed in the operating cam 4B. IThe arrangement is such that the rotation oi the motor will rock the upper arm 4G back and forth carrying the operating bar 2t with it through the action of the link 38. rihe edge of the cam @lil is provided with a lug 56 adapted to contact the flange 58 formed upon the reciprocal member @3. A U-shaped switch operating member 62 is pivotally carried by the frame lll by means of pivot pins S4 and 66. The lower end of the U-shaped member adjacent one end of the frame is pivotally secured to a switch operating link Gil, the other end of which is secured to a switch operating lever T0. When the member Ilili swings forwardly, the lever 1!! will pivot about its pivot pin T2 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, striking the switch operating member M of the switch l, initiating the action of the motor et. The motor will continue to run until the lug moves the member Su to the right, as viewed in Figure l, causing it to operate the switch member stopping the operation of the motor. The electrical connections can readily be seen by reference to Figure 5 in which like reference numerals have been used to indicate like parts. The rocking of lever lil in a counterclockwise direction initiates the action of the motor and the movement oi member 'i8 to the right stops the action of the motor by breaking the circuit thereto.

Referring now to Figure 6, a coin register of any suitable construction, preferably that shown in copending application of Christian Gabrielsen et al. Serial No. 166,405 filed June 1950, is adapted to control. the energization of a plurality of push buttons 82 each of which is associated with one oi the columns i The push buttons are carried by the housing externally of the machine and are associated with a slide lock arrangement well known to the art such as described in my copending application Serial No. 19,313 filed April 6, 1948, now Patent No. 2,546,690, whereby only one of the push buttons may be pressed at a time so that the actuation of one push button automatically locks the other push buttons prevents them from being pressed simultaneously. Since all the operating parts are electrically controlled by the push buttons, as will be described more fully hereinafter, only a single cable need pass from the push button assembly into the refrigerated space, thus preventing loss of refrigeration and excessive condensation in the refrigerated atmosphere of Watervapor. It might be pointed out here that the disposal of sandwiches in the refrigerated atmosphere maintains the bread of the sandwiches in a fresh condition due to the fact that the refrigeration keeps the refrigerated atmosphere at a high relative humidity and prevents the bread from drying out and becoming stale too rapidly. By means of refrigeration, sandwiches may be kept fresh for several days.

Still referring to Figure 6, coins deposited in the coin register 8d complete the initial part ci" a circuit containing a plurality of solenoids td connected in parallel with each other and in series with the coin register and respectively in series with individual push buttons t2. When a push button is pressed, the circuit is adapted to be cornv pleted through a respective switch arm @il which forms part of the empty lock and empty signal system. The construction of the empty lock is shown in Figure 2. The frame Ill supports a bracket 88 which carries a plurality of spring members 9i), one being provided for each column. When sandwiches I are positioned in a column the spring member Sil is urged to the right through contact of its lower portion 92 with sandwiches in the column. This causes the switch arm 86 to make contact with Contact point Se and to complete the circuit controlled by the push button 82 in normal operation. When the spring member 9d moves to the left, as shown in Figure 2, due to the absence of sandwiches from the column l2, the member 98 will cause the switch arm 8S to make contact with contact point 98 and to break contact with contact point When the switch arm et is in contact with contact point 98, operation of the push .button will energize the incandescent lamp |06 adapted to signal that the column controlled by the partioular push button pressed emptyl as ein-read ily be seen by reference to Figure 6, "Ehe energy for the incendiescenty lambris urnishedby' av low voltage. source such asf a battery to2l` oninfevent of the use of, altemating current, by a low voltagc=- wichesfin the mao-bine so that arm Wisin con-v tact with Contact point 94- and with proper coins in the coinregister Sr, the pressing. of. the: push button t2 will permit.l current tofflovvV from thepositive terminal. |626 through the push. button armatura through the, winding of solenoidA 116 through conductor Hi8, through the coin'register, to the negativev terminal. Hl), energizingthe solenoid e4 associated.. with. the push button pressed. If the empty lock permits the switch. arm. til/to maire contact with contact point 98, the prossimeoi' the button will. permit current` toriow from.

the positive terminalv of the battery [ll-2 through the incandescentv lamp. |90 to. contactpoint 9'3, through the switch arm 86, through the armature button 82, through. the Windingo solenoid 84|', through conductor will, through the coin register Sil, through conductor H2, through. theresistol" Ille, to the other side of the potential source. The resistor ld, together with the resistance ofV the incandescent lamp, serves tov keep the cur rentvdensity through the solenoid Winding so low that it will not operate. Its value is such' that even though the incandescent. lamp were short circuited it will permit sui'oient current from flowing through the solenoid Wlndiug'toA operate The operation ofthe solenoid 84 will initiate the action of the dispensing mechanism', as will' be described more fully hereinafter, and cause the operating bar to operate to dispense the mler`- chandise. The coins deposited in the1 coinv resister 863 rest on the edge of a money shelf IH supported by pivots and IH?. When-the operating bar operates it tilts the money shelf to permit the coins to fall into a coin box H39'.

Referring now to Figure 4, each solenoid E4 is provided with an armature lf'towhiehcis' secured a member |22 adapted to move upwardlyy with the armature upon the energize-tion of" the wndinfr of the solenoid 84. The upper por?V tion of the member |22. carries horizontally disposed arm $24. Associated vnltlrv eachcolumn I yprovide a switch arm actuating lever [ZB-pivotally secured by pivot |28... to a kbracket ISU-'carried' by an anglemember |32:'supported'by the framework of the machine. A spring i3d urges the switch arm actuating` lever |26 to: rotate in a clockwise direction, as viewed in- Figuresji andV 2r. A pin |36A is carried by the actuating lever |26. A 1oclring level' |33 has its rear end pivoted .tothe frame and is provided with a notch |40 engaging the pin |3i5, preventing the spring 'irom rotating.

associated push button'the memberltz will move upwardly carry-ing the arm |24 with it. The end |44 or the arm is disposed underneath the end |46 of thel looking. lever |38; The upward motion, oi the locking lever will lift its; notch Mil clear of the pin |36 and permit the actuating lever |26 to rotate in aclookwise direction under the influence of the spring |311. The lower end |43 of the actuating lever will strike the switch oneratingzarm 62 and rotate this in a clockwise direction. as vewedin Figure 2, pulling the link v6e forwardly and rotating. the lever 'illin a counterclockwise direction so thatsvvitcli operating membr 14 will close the switch 76 to start the motor 4 The member |22. is disposed underneath coupling lever |5ll which is provided with a notch |52 adapted toengage the operating. bar 26 when. the lever (5t is'rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures zand 4. The arrangement is such that the notch |52. will. be seated about the Cnel-ating bar .lust before. the looking lever. |38 releases the switch actuating lever |26. When the lever |26 rotates under the iniiuence of spring |34. the notch lli. carried by this lever will seat around. horizontal arm EM. Since the. pressing of the initiating button is only momentary, solenoid 84 will. become ie-energized when. the button is released. Due to the fact that the notch NS2vr holds the horizontal member |24 upwardly, the. couplingv lever |56 will be retained in coupling .position vvththe operating bar, and the looking, leverl |38 Willbe retained in unlocking position. The coupling lever |50 is pivotally carried by pin |51 carried by the ejecting member Hi8. The

ejecting member is supported at its lower end by a shaft |62. carried by the frame lil.. Sleeves Hit positioned about the somt 62. maintain the ejecting` members |53 properly spaced position- The upper and or the electing member ldd is provided With an arcuate extension itt. As the operating bar 2li movesto the left, as viewed in Figure. 2, with the coupling lever |50 in coupled position, the eieeting member |53 will pivot about the-shaft. |52. and eject the bottommost sandwich or other article id contained in the column |2 as" socated with the ejecting member beine,r opcrafted.v The. forward upper portion. ofthe ejecting member will push the bottomrnost package I4' forwardly against the actionof. a spring loaded gate |66, biased by spring le?, which normally .prevents the bottoinmost package hi from, being jarred or fished out or the machine. There is a direct and strong connection between. the operatine,r bar and the ejecting member |523 which is being operated by an electric motor usually provided with a gear reduction to provide a high output torque.. The force is ample to pivot the spring loaded gate about its pivot ltt to permit the package to be ejected. The arcuate portion rIll supports the column of articles during the ejection and permits them to fall as soon as the operating bar moves the ejector member to the right clear of the column, thus automatically positioruns;` another article for ejection during f the next operating cycle. The upper end of the switch actuating lever lit is provided with a horizontally disposed lug ilu which projects across the path of movement of the electing member |58 and is so positioned that just after the merchandise is. ejected it will be contacted by the front edge of the ejecting. member and ron tated. .inta oounterclockwise direction against the aotionof spring |34. When this occurs the notch which will permit the locking lever |38 to drop, again engaging the pin |36 and holding the switch actuating lever |25 in its ready position for the next operation. When the operating bar is at the left, as viewed in Figure 2, the end |12 of the lever will rest upon the horizontal portion |14 of the plate |16, thus preventing the coupling lever from becoming disengaged even though the member |22 and the armature |20 have dropped due to their release from the retaining notch in the switch actuating lever. The inclined portion |18 of the plate |16 is so positioned that it will permit the coupling lever |50 to disengage after the ejecting member 58 is moved backwardly to the position shown in Figure 2 just as the operating bar 26 leaves the end of its stroke to the right at the time when the lug 56 acts to deenergize the motor, thus uncoupling the coupling lever |50 from the operating bar and placing the parts in position for the next cycle of operation.

In operation let us assume that the columns are loaded with sandwiches and the refrigerated cabinet is placed on location with the refrigeration operating. A purchaser selects the type oi' sandwich he desires from legends adjacent the push buttons, which may be placed at any convenient place on the machine since the machine is completely enclosed except for the access door through which sandwiches are delivered to a user. The user deposits the correct coins in the coin register and then presses the button. This energizes the solenoid 84 associated with the column in which the sandwich is selected. The armature will move upwardly unlocking the switch actuating lever |26 and coupling the coupling lever |58 to the operating bar. The

switch actuating lever will rotate to actuate thc switch starting button starting the motor il@ and will lock the member |22 in the upward position by means of the notch |42 through engagement with the horizontal arm |215. This permits the coupling lever |50 to remain in coupled position during the initial part of the movement of the operating bar 26. As the operating bar moves forwardly it will pivot the electing member |3 to deliver a sandwich. Just before it completes its forward movement it will pivot the switch actuating member |26 in a counterclockwise direct-ion through the action of lug |10, as viewed in Figure 2, to release the horizontal member EN from the notch |42 to permit the armature to drop. The operating bar will complete its cycle pivoting the ejector in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2. As the end of the cycle is appreached, the coupling lever |50 will move down the inclined portion |18 of the plate |16 automatically permitting the coupling lever |50 to uncouple by gravity. If a column becomes de- .pleted of merchandise, the pressing oi the button 82 will not energize the solenoid 0d but will, on the other hand, complete a circuit through the signal lamp to inform the user that the column is depleted of merchandise. bar is not operated, the coins will remain in the coin register and another button may be pressed. If all of the columns are empty or if the user does not desire the merchandise in the other columns, a coin return, known to the art, may be actuated Since the operating and the coins returned to the user from the register.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the l articles in 8 merchandise' from a selected column by the simple operation of a push button.

I have provided an electrically controlled and operated merchandising machine having a sepaf rate push button associated with respective columns in which different merchandise may be placed in each of the columns.

I have4 provided a merchandising machine adapted to be operated electrically by a plurality of push buttons in which the operation of a push button selects the merchandise to be vended and initiates the action of a, prime mover.

I have provided an improved electrical automatic merchandising machine in which all the operatingA mechanism is controlled by a push button so that the mechanism may be placed in a refrigerated housing with eiciency and ease.

It will be understood that certain features and rsubcornbinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore to be understood that my invention is not to be limited' to the specic details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A vending machine including in combination a plurality of substantially vertical columns adapted to support stacks of articles to be vended, a main prime mover, an operating member adapted to be actuated by said prime mover, a plurality of selector switches associated with respective columns, a plurality of electrically energizable moving means associated with respective selector' switches, circuit means for said moving means controlled by said selector switches, a switch for energizing the prime mover, a plurality of ejecting means associated with respective columns adapted to eject the bottommost article of a stack from each column, cou pling. means associated with each of said ejecting means adapted to lcouple a respective ejecting means to said operating member, a plurality of switch operating members associated with respective columns each adapted to actuate said switch for energizing the main prime mover, means responsive to the energization of one ci said electrically energizable moving means for actuating a switch operating member to initiate the action of the main prime mover and to move a coupling means to coupled position.

2. A vending machine as in claim l in which said electrically energizable moving means com prise solenoids.

3. A vending machine as in claim l in which each of said ejecting means comprises a pivoted member formed with an arcuate surface adapted simultaneously to eject the bottommost article from a column and to support the remaining the column upon said arcuate sur face.

4. A vending machine as in claim 1 including means for maintaining said coupling means in coupled position after the de-energization of said electrically energizable moving means.

5. A vending machine as'in claim 1 in which each of said switch operating members comprises a plvoted lever, means for biasing said lever to rotate to switch operating position, locking means for holding said switch operating lever in'nonswitch operating position against the action of 1 said biasing means, and said means responsive to the energization of one of said electrically energizable moving means comprises a member adapted to move said locking means to unlocked position, and means responsive to the actuation of said lever for retaining said member in locking means unlocked position.

6. A vending machine as in claim 1 including 1n combination a cam plate positioned adjacent said operating bar, said cam plate being formed to hold said coupling means in coupled position after the operating bar has started its stroke :and to permit said coupling means to move to uncoupled position after said operating bar has completed its stroke.

7. A vending machine as in claim 1 in which each of said columns is provided with a gate and resilient means for urging said gate to column closing position whereby to prevent an article from being jarred out of the column, said gate being constructed to pivot under the influence of said ejecting means to permit an article to be dispensed from a column.

8. A vending machine as in claim 1 in which each of said circuit means for said electrically renergizable moving means includes an interrupter switch, a feeler member associated with each column adapted to move each respective interrupter switch to circuit making position when articles to be vended .are positioned in a column and to move said interrupter switch to circuit breaking position when a column is empty.

^ 9. A vending machine as in claim 1 including a signal circuit in parallel with respective circuit means for said moving means, an empty switch associated with each column, .a feeler member adapted to move said empty switch to a position breaking the signal circuit when merchandise is in a column and to move said empty switch to a position completing the signal circuit when a column is empty, the construction being such that when a column is empty the operation of a selector switch will energize said signal circuit.

CHRISTIAN GABRIELSEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date f 831,169 Long Sept. 18, 1906 2,323,981 Du Grenier et al. July 13, 1943 2,360,241 Kuhl Oct. 10, 1944 2,455,976 Caruso Dec. 14, 1948 2,496,689 Balzer Feb. 7, 1950 2,546,986 Dressler Apr. 3, 1951 

